"It seems that all you care about the hospital is that Mrs. Eland shall get her wages."
"Yes. I s'pose that's my special interest in it," admitted Tess, slowly. "But then, if my Mrs. Eland is there as matron, the hospital is bound to do a great deal of good."
"Oh! wisdom of the ancients!" laughed Agnes.
"Quite true, my dear," commented Mrs. MacCall. "Your Mrs. Eland is a fine woman. I've always said that."
"Everybody doesn't agree with you," said Ruth, smiling.
"Who doesn't like Mrs. Eland?" demanded Tess, quite excited.
"Our neighbor, Sammy Pinkney," Ruth replied, laughing again. "I heard him talking about her this very morning, and what he said was not complimentary."
Tess was quite flushed. "Sammy gave us Billy Bumps," she said sternly, "and Billy is a very good goat."
"Except when he eats up poor Seneca Sprague's hair," chuckled Agnes.
"He is a very good goat," repeated Tess. "But if Sammy says my Mrs. Eland isn't the very nicest lady there is—well—he can take his old goat back—so now!"